Longing for You
by glitterpop
Summary: UM FirstSeason. After an ill-fated kiss between two people who called themselves enemies is shared, Mamoru leaves for America, leaving behind a confused Usagi, who is even more confused when he returns a year later...
1. Prologue

_**Longing for You**_

**Summary**: An ill-fated kiss between two enemies the night before Mamoru leaves for America leaves both feeling confused and even more so when Mamoru returns a year later...

**A/N**: Hey everyone! This is my first SM fanfic, so I'm not making any promises here, but we'll see how it goes. Set in the first season of SM, but the events in which things occur are slightly different as you will read. Also, please note that the characters of Usagi and Mamoru are more manga based simply because I like them better that way :)

**Disclaimer**: I unfortunately do not own Sailormoon in any way. Surprised? Didn't think so.

PROLOGUE:

[Takes place when Usagi is in the 8th grade and Mamoru is in 11th]

Tsukino Usagi lethargically walked down the street, dragging her feet as she went. It had been a long day. Too long. She had been late, forgetting her lunch in the process, and received a detention for it. The worst part was it hadn't even been her fault. She'd had a particularly nasty run in with a youma in the park at around 2 am and ended up oversleeping for her efforts.

Usagi entered the Crown Arcade and plopped herself down at the first table she saw, not noticing the rather shocked raven haired boy who had been occupying the table.

"Er, hi Odango Atama," Mamoru said, glancing at her suspiciously. Usually the odango steered clear of him. Usagi said nothing, startling the upperclassman even more.

Instead she laid her head down on her hands and closed her eyes.

"No 'Mamoru-baka?' Are you okay, odango?" Mamoru asked, alarmed at the girl's lack of insults.

"I'm fine, baka. It's just been a loooong day," she finally answered.

Mamoru chuckled fondly at her response. "There's the odango I know and love."

"Love?" asked Motoki, who had come out of nowhere, placing a cold milkshake in front of the drowsy girl.

Mamoru's cheeks reddened. "It's a saying, Motoki-san." Motoki raised his eyebrows, as if he didn't believe him and then turned his attention to Usagi.

"Rough day, huh?" he asked sympathetically. Usagi nodded and took a generous sip of her chocolate milkshake.

"A tardy and a detention! My mom's gonna kill me!"

"She's probably used to it by now," Mamoru interjected honestly. Usagi sent him a sharp glance and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'What? It's true!'

"Would you just go away, Mamoru-baka?" Mamoru chuckled as she eyed him icily.

"Actually," Motoki added, "Mamoru's going to be gone for a long while, Usagi-chan. Maybe I'll actually get some peace and quiet around here."

"Not if odango here has anything to do with it," Mamoru said.

Usagi dropped her straw and stared up at him in shock. "Where are you going?"

Mamoru furrowed his brows, confused at her reaction. Shouldn't she have been happy he was leaving? "I'm going to study in America for a year."

Usagi blinked, a sinking feeling developing in her chest. Why did it bother her that he was leaving? "Oh...that's nice," she said lamely.

"Uh-huh..." Mamoru raised a brow at her curiously. "What, no cheering? I at least expected a victory dance of some sort." He found himself brightening at her reaction. Maybe the odango didn't hate him so much after all.

"I would not do a victory dance!" Usagi sniffed haughtily and turned her attention back to her milkshake.

"Whatever, odango. Looks like you will have to find someone else to pelt with your shoes and failed test papers."

Usagi frowned. This was true. Who was going to make fun of her for failing English...and all her other classes? Who was she going to knock over on her way to school? This felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. Mamoru couldn't leave; it would change her life completely. Who was she going to argue with after school? As much as she hated to admit it, she actually enjoyed their banter. She knew he didn't really mean it, as much as it made her blood boil. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, actually. Didn't know you cared so much, odango." He smirked at her. Usagi didn't say anything, she simply sat there frowning.

Mamoru studied the blonde girl in front of him, who seemed to be deep in thought. Could it be that the odango would actually miss him? He knew that deep-down, very deep down that is, that he would really miss the odangoed one. She was one of the only girls he knew that didn't fawn all over him, one he could actually have a conversation with. Granted, their conversations were mainly insults shot back and forth, but still.

Usagi jumped up suddenly. "Well, have fun with that. I'm going to go play a round of Sailor-V." She skipped away quickly, leaving Mamoru staring after her, more confused then ever.

---

Usagi glanced out of the corner of her eye at Mamoru, who sat at the table, drinking coffee and freely conversing with his best friend Motoki, who seemed to want to spend as much time with him as he could before he left.

She felt bad for getting up and leaving so suddenly, but she had been so overwhelmed with foreign feelings that she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't understand why she was feeling so depressed at his leaving. They weren't even friends. So why did she feel like a big part of her was missing? Could she possibly have feelings for the baka? She shook her head vigorously. No, that couldn't be it. She would simply miss their daily bickering. That was all.

She looked at him again, taking in his dark hair and serious blue eyes. He was criminally good-looking, that much was true, but he had always seemed so cold, to people other than Motoki, that is. She watched as he laughed at something Motoki had said and gasped at the heartbreaking smile he exposed. He really was something once he smiled. Usagi suddenly felt very sad. He would never smile like that for her.

Around Motoki-san, he seemed to be a completely different person. So warm and kind. How come he was never that way to the rest of the world? Or more importantly, to her? Usagi took a deep breath and slid another token into the machine. She had to stop thinking about him like that or she was going to drive herself crazy.

Usagi played a few more rounds of Sailor-V, and noticed that it had gotten dark out. She watched as Mamoru got up suddenly, gathering his stuff and bidding farewell to his best friend before walking out the door. Usagi sprung to her feet. The baka wasn't even going to say goodbye to her? Without thinking, she bolted towards the door.

"Mamoru-baka!" she called, running out the door. Mamoru turned around and looked down at her in surprise. The streetlight was shining down on them, illuminating his stunning features.

"Uh, what's wrong, Odango?" he asked, throwing his jacket over his shoulder. Usagi took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fact that he looked like something out of a catalogue.

"Er...uh.." Usagi ground one of her feet into the sidewalk nervously. She hadn't really thought of what she was going to say. She decided to say the first thing that popped into her head. "Your house is that way, baka. I think all that coffee has gone to your head."

Mamoru looked at her suspiciously. "I was going to pick something up from Motoki's. You came all the way out here to tell me that?" He couldn't help but feel flattered at her concern.

Usagi blushed and stared at her feet. Why was it so hard to talk around him? "Well, no," she admitted.

"Then what is it, odango?" He urged, feeling nervous for some reason. The cute blush on her pretty face was driving him insane.

"Just wanted to say..." she paused, cheeks on fire, "that you really should get a new jacket before you leave. That one is hideous."

The upperclassmen frowned and held onto his jacket protectively. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. For a second there, it seemed like the girl was going to say something important. "Well if that's all I have to go. See you in a year, odango."

Usagi frowned as he turned around and began to walk off in the opposite direction. A panicked feeling rose in her chest as she realized this was her last chance. Without stopping to think, her body took control, sprinting to his retreating figure and placing a hand on his shoulder. A shocked Mamoru turned around, only to find himself in a lip-lock with the odango. His mind blanked and he found himself to be frozen under her embrace.

Usagi's heart was pounding rapidly and she knew that she couldn't turn back now. She felt perturbed at his unresponsive stance and deepened the kiss, trying to invoke a reaction from him.

When Mamoru's brain finally kicked in and he realized that she was kissing him, he reacted automatically, grabbing her around the waist and parting his lips under her already parted ones. He felt the sudden urge to groan in ecstasy, the sweet taste of her driving him wild.

Usagi's whole body felt warm. The ache in her chest that had developed when she found out he was leaving seemed to disappear and everything in the world felt right again. She never wanted the kiss to end, but she briefly wondered how pathetic she must look to Mamoru. She was, after all, a mere middle-school student who regularly taunted him. Now she was standing here kissing him like she never wanted to stop.

She tore away from his embrace suddenly and glanced up at his surprised face before sprinting down the sidewalk as fast as her little body could carry her.

Mamoru touched his lips where the odango had kissed him and stared after her. It was strange, but for a moment in her embrace, he actually felt like he had found a home. He shrugged it off and began walking in a daze. He suddenly felt enormously cheerful. It was very possible that Usagi actually liked him! After all, she _had_ kissed him quite thoroughly! He frowned slightly, realizing that he wouldn't know for sure until he got back. He wondered briefly if she would write him or something. How was he supposed to know if she liked him or not? He shook his head vigorously. There was still time left to figure things out. In a year, he promised himself, he would find out for sure.

Usagi blinked up at the midnight sky, her elbows resting on the window sill. She didn't know what had made her do it, but kissing Mamoru had felt...so right. She sighed, the ache from the afternoon furrowing its way back into her chest at the thought of him being gone for a year. What was she going to do with herself until then?

She briefly thought of the dashing Tuxedo Kamen, and how it was he that she had imagined her first kiss to be with. How strange it was that it had instead been with someone she had recently thought to be an enemy.

Her heart swelled as she thought of the serious way he would pour over his books after school at the arcade, drinking ridiculous amounts of caffeine. She fondly recalled the handsome smirk he would wear as he dished out his latest comeback at her expense. Why oh why had she wasted all her time with him arguing when they could have been doing things that were more...productive. Her mind flashed back to the kiss and she blushed in spite of herself. She wasn't sure what his feelings toward her were now, but in a year, she promised herself, she would find out for sure.

(**A/N**: Alright so how was it? Bear in mind it was just the prologue so the chapters will probably be longer. I know it wasn't the greatest, but I promise it will get better. Please review and tell me what you think so that I know I should keep writing this! I will just go ahead and admit it now that I am incredibly lazy and reviews would definitely motivate me to keep writing. Winkwink.)


	2. Homecoming

**A/N:**** Thanks you guys SO MUCH for your reviews. It means a lot to me! However, I noticed for the hits this story got, there could have been a lot more! I really want to know what you guys think so don't be afraid to review :) **

**Anyways, I am going to be on a trip for two weeks so I thought I would update this before I left. To clarify things, since this is just a "Usagi and Mamoru fall in love" fic, I don't have any plans for a sequel, but you never know. Also, to further clarify, Mamoru is now in 12****th**** grade and Usagi is in 9****th****. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer****: Still don't own it.**

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_**Longing for You**_

Chapter One: Homecoming

_One year later..._

Chiba Mamoru took a swift look around his neglected apartment and couldn't help but grin. He was finally home! He set his luggage down and immediately retreated to the balcony overlooking the sprawling city of Tokyo. The sun was just setting and the sky was an inky indigo color. He watched, contented, as the sun dipped lower and lower, and breathed in the thick air of the city. How he had missed this city.

Or, to be more precise, how he had missed certain _inhabitants_ of this city. His breathing quickened slightly at the thought of a certain blonde-haired "inhabitant" who was probably engaged in a peaceful slumber at this very moment.

While he had been away, Mamoru had often thought of the girl- how could he not? After all, their last exchange had been a kiss. However, Mamoru couldn't seem to wrap his head around the way he felt about said girl. He was confused, to put it simply. He had thought she hated him. Had she just inhaled one too many milkshakes that afternoon or did she actually care about him? Whatever the case he knew he would find out soon enough. He strode to the kitchen, intent on settling his thoughts with a steaming cup of coffee.

He dropped his coffee pot with a clatter. There it was again. That familiar tugging sensation that was burning a hole in his chest. He suppressed a melodramatic groan. Of course it had to happen on his first night back.

He transformed into Tuxedo Kamen for the first time in a year. He could ponder his romantic troubles later. For now, Sailor Moon needed him.

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"Usagi-chan, lights out! You have an Algebra test tomorrow!" Usagi frowned and stuck her tongue out at her door.

"Alright, alright!" Tsukino Usagi yelled back, then lowering her voice, continued, "Stupid mom, always nagging."

Luna hopped down from her regular perch at the window sill. "You know your mother is right."

Usagi stuck her tongue out at Luna as well. "Whatever. I'm in high school now and she still treats me like a little girl!" Luna said nothing, making Usagi even more temperamental. She threw back her purple comforter and hopped into her bed. Sleep was one thing she had always excelled it.

"I think I have matured quite a lot, thank you."

Luna settled herself onto one of Usagi's pillow. "I can't disagree with you there. You're not as much of a crybaby and you argue less with people." Luna paused, thinking. "Of course, that could be because you have no one to argue with."

Usagi had easily caught on to what, or who, Luna was referring to and her palms instantly became sweaty.

"Not true, I used to argue with Rei a lot, but we have gotten better." Luna agreed with her, content to not push things further and put her head down to sleep.

Usagi, on the other hand, was still thinking about what Luna had just said. Stupid Mamoru, always plaguing her thoughts. It had been an entire year and she still thought about him more than she would like to admit. She hadn't been able to forget that warm feeling of being in his arms. However, she still wasn't sure about how she felt towards him. Sure, she had kissed him, but she hadn't even meant to. It was something that had just happened.

Luna jolted suddenly and Usagi stared at her in alarm.

"What is it?" she demanded, sitting up in her bed, eyes wary.

Luna's eyes were on Usagi's Moon Stick on her dresser. It was flashing wildly, projecting white light around Usagi's room.

"Youma, in the park! Alert the other scouts and get going!"

Usagi jumped up at once, clutching her brooch. "Moon, prism, POWER!" There was a flash of light and the gentle caress of ribbons enveloping her body. Sailor Moon stood at the foot of the bed. With a graceful leap, uncharacteristic of her more human form, she charged into the midnight, blonde hair streaming behind her.

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Tuxedo Kamen soared through the cool, evening air. He sighed with relief as his feet kissed the ground. It had been a long time since he had paraded around the city as one of Tokyo's famed superheroes, and he was feeling out of it.

He dashed to the tree nearest the scene of the battle, thankful for the cover of midnight. He watched as the hideous youma mercilessly gave the five senshi everything it had. They were putting up a good fight, and the park was illuminated with flashes of colorful light from both sides.

He was secretly hoping that his assistance wouldn't be needed. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty over not being present to find the Silver Crystal over the past year. However, he had been off on a mission of his own, something he had to do. Now that he had returned, he knew he had to get back into searching for the crystal.

He watched in horror as the youma sent a sharp claw sailing through the air in Sailor Moon's direction. Without pausing to think, he darted into the battlefield, grabbing Sailor Moon in his capable arms and carrying her to safety. A feeling of deja-vu that he couldn't quite place washed over him.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" Sailor Moon gasped, eyes widening and cheeks reddening. He furrowed his brows at her, confused at her response. She looked as if she had just seen a ghost or something.

He set her down under the tree and squeezed her hand encouragingly. "Finish them off, Sailor Moon." The blonde senshi simply nodded, her eyes unblinking before ripping her tiara off her head and hurling it in the youma's direction.

"Moon, tiara, action!" Her voice held none of its usual power. The youma, however, disintegrated into a pile of dusts nonetheless. Tuxedo Kamen nodded at the senshi and flew off, leaving a stunned Sailor Moon standing in the park.

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"He's back," Usagi whispered, detransformed and walking back to her house, Luna in tow.

Luna nodded for the hundredth time. "Yes, you've mentioned that." Usagi glared at the cat icily, but kept walking.

"I didn't expect to...he didn't even say...I felt so...warm." Usagi wrapped her arms around herself and smiled goofily. She didn't know what had come over her, but the instant he had picked her up, her heart had started pounding and her body had been flooded with heat.

If anyone where to look out their window at that moment, they would have seen a disoriented teenaged girl clothed only in flannel pjs, wobbling around and muttering to her cat. It was indeed a laughable sight.

Luna looked up at her dazed form, suspicious. "Is there something about Tuxedo Kamen that you aren't telling me?"

Usagi's arms snapped back to her sides and her face flushed guiltily. Ever since Mamoru had left, Usagi had managed to put two and two together and come to the conclusion that Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen. At first, she hadn't wanted to believe it, but as each battle came and went and there was no sign of her midnight savoir, she knew it was true.

Part of her had been overjoyed, knowing that her first kiss had indeed been with the famed Tuxedo Kamen, but another part of her was disgruntled knowing that her dream crush had turned out to be the boy she had been harboring unwanted romantic feelings towards.

However, Usagi had never spoken of her suspicions to Luna or the other senshi. She definitely hadn't spoken to any of them about the kiss either. She was sure that they were suspicious with the way she would casually ask Andrew how he was doing, or the way her cheeks would heat up anytime Mamoru was mentioned. Also, it had been especially hard to keep her mouth shut when the senshi were speculating about Tuxedo Kamen.

Usagi turned her attention back to Luna. "Hmm? No, I was just thinking about how...dreamy he is." She was glad the darkness hid the magenta blush that inhabited her face. Usagi sighed with relief when Luna the matter drop.

Usagi stopped walking suddenly as a thought came to her. If Tuxedo Kamen had showed up tonight, that meant that she would probably see Mamoru tomorrow! Her mind felt woozy all of a sudden, as her brain finally pushed her towards the very thing she had been suspecting all along. The battle tonight had simply confirmed her suspicions. She, Tsukino Usagi, was totally and completely besotted with a one Chiba Mamoru. She resisted the urge to punch herself in the gut.

"Why did you stop?" Luna asked, obviously irritated at their journey to a comfy bed being halted.

"Er, foot cramp," Usagi lied, walking with an exaggerated limp. Luna rolled her eyes at her and they arrived home. As Usagi lay down to sleep, she found herself unable to control the butterflies that were flying around in her stomach. Usagi frowned at their presence. How was she going to get rid of those pesky things? And more importantly, what was she going to wear tomorrow?

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"Usagi, come on already!" Mizuno Ami moaned, tapping her foot anxiously. When the blonde had called, asking her if she wanted to meet at her house and then walk to the arcade, she had happily agreed. However, she had been sitting in her room for twelve minutes and said blonde still wasn't ready.

"Hang on, I'm almost done!" Usagi called out from the bathroom. She dashed into her room, tripping over a stray shoe and tumbling to the floor. Ami bit back a grin. Usagi jumped up and straightened her white skirt. "I'm okay!"

Ami gasped at her friend's appearance. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder silk top in colorful shades of blue and purple and tall white ankle boots to match her skirt. More surprising, was the blonde's face.

"Is that mascara?" Ami asked. "You know we are just going to the arcade..."

Usagi blushed and shrugged. "I felt like dressing up a little." She grabbed her bag and ushered a bewildered Ami out the door.

As they walked to the arcade, Usagi was unusually quiet, trying to calm down her racing pulse. Ami glanced at her anxious friend, suspicious, but said nothing. When they finally arrived at the arcade, Usagi took a deep breath and straightened her spine, attempting to appear confidant, but casual.

"Konnichiwa Motoki-onii-san!" she called out to the cheerful arcade worker. He smiled at her and then did a double-take; as if he wasn't sure it was really her before signaling both of them to come over. Usagi did a quick scan of the arcade and pouted as her radar detected no raven-haired upperclassmen.

"Why are you so cheerful?" Usagi asked the arcade worker, suddenly in a grumpy mood. All of her morning's effort wasted!

Motoki finished polishing the surface of the counter and beamed up at her. "Mamoru-san is back! He came by earlier this morning!" Usagi's frown became more pronounced. Was the baka avoiding her or something?

Usagi and Ami made their way over to the booth in the corner and were shortly joined by the rest of the girls. Usagi stared dejectedly at the table, not even bothering to participate in the conversation. It was bad enough that she had finally been forced to admit to herself that she liked that troublesome baka, but now he wasn't even going to show up? She suddenly felt angry. After all, she had given him her first kiss and now he wasn't even going to bother to say hi to her after an entire _year_.

"Dreaming about boys again, Usagi-chan?" Rei teased. Usagi stared at her, wide-eyed, briefly wondering if the girl's psychic powers extended to mind-reading.

"'Course not," she choked out, eyeing Rei suspiciously. When the priestess didn't push it any further, Usagi let out a sigh of relief and slumped back into her moping position.

"Speaking of boys, what was with Tuxedo Kamen showing up last night?" Minako whispered, wary of eavesdroppers. Usagi suddenly sat up straighter.

"Not sure, but it sure was weird. It's been ages since he appeared," Makoto responded thoughtfully.

Ami turned towards Usagi. "Did he say anything to you?"

Usagi's eyes widened as they always did when she was about to tell a lie. "Nope, just the usual 'Go get 'em, Sailor Moon!'" It wasn't even a lie. She just hoped they wouldn't ask about...

"Well you seemed awfully out of it after he saved you," Rei pointed out, hitting the nail right on the head.

Usagi willed her cheeks not to turn red and betray her. "Just surprised was all." She got up from the table. "You know, I'm suddenly not feeling so well. Must have been some bad shrimp from last night. Papa Kenji cooked dinner, you see." She was rambling, but she didn't care. She excused herself once more and bolted out the door, only to crash into something hard and warm.

"Gomen nasai!" She began apologizing before looking up into the face of the one who she crashed into.

"Odango, long time no see," Mamoru said, a grin spreading across his face as he helped her up. His eyes dipped over her body and she felt herself blushing. If it was even possible, Mamoru had gotten even better-looking over the year. "You look...well."

Usagi's heart was thumping embarrassingly loudly in her chest and she felt dizzy all of a sudden. She silently cursed him for affecting her so thoroughly.

"How was America?" she finally managed to ask. The awkwardness between them was so palpable; she could detect the curious stares of people walking past them.

He flashed her a heart-stopping smile. "Interesting, but I definitely missed home and... everyone here." A sudden breeze lifted her streaming hair so that it teased the arm of the man in front of her. He gently fingered the end of one blonde streamer and Usagi tried not to remember how to breathe.

Usagi's heart was pumping with a new-found vigor. "Everyone?" she asked.

He nodded and took a step closer to her. She felt like her pesky heart was going to explode.

"Some more than others," he clarified, his voice soft.

"Oh?" She could barely breathe. Was he sucking the oxygen out of her or something? He took another step closer. Their lips were inches away. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch scalding her.

Usagi was jolted out of her trance when the brooch in her pocket began pulsating. Another youma attack? She silently cursed the bad timing and quickly prattled off some excuse or another before ducking into an alleyway and saying the three magic words.

"Moon, prism, POWER!"

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Somewhere not far off, a wicked smile played across someone's lips as they watched the exchange between the two people. As the alley that Usagi had disappeared into was bathed in a fuscia light, their smile got even wider...

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**Alright, I'm sorry if this kind of sucked. It was rushed because I wanted to get something out before I left. In any case, tell me what you think! This time I want to hear what you guys would like to see more of, whether it's romance, angst, action, whatever! Or tell me what you liked/disliked in this chapter. Be sure to leave lots of reviews while I'm gone so I will feel pressured to write more, 'kay? :)**

**-Glitterpop**


	3. Promise

**A/N: Ahh thank you guys SO MUCH for all your reviews! I loved reading what you thought of everything! This chapter had to be re-written a million times, so it's kind of short, but it ties the story together much better.**

**PS: Consider yourself disclaimed, Sailor Moon. teehee.**

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The stony gravel crunched under Sailor Moon's feet with every step she took. It was the only sound she could hear, which seemed strange to her. Where was the youma? She did another lap around the park, her eyes scanning the foliage for anything out of place. She was starting to get nervous, as none of the other senshi had arrived. She stopped by the nearest tree for a break, panting heavily.

She took another look around the desolate park, and her breath caught when she noticed a figure emerging from behind the adjacent tree. She gripped the Moon Stick firmly and stepped out onto the pathway.

"Who's there?" Sailor Moon demanded, holding the Moon Stick out in front of her warily.

The figure took another step forward but was still shrouded. "Oh I'd be careful where I pointed that thing if I were you...Tsukino Usagi." The figure stepped into the light.

Sailor Moon gasped and nearly dropped the Moon Stick. "Zoicite?"

"Who were you expecting?" Zoicite demanded, a knowing look flashing in his eyes.

"How do you know who I am?" Sailor Moon choked out, ignoring the aforementioned question.

Zoicite fingered a limp strand of hair nonchalantly. "I know a lot of things about you, Usagi."

Usagi gulped and braced herself. "Like what?" she demanded.

Zoicite was just opening his mouth to answer when they were assaulted by a colorful array of flashing lights and shouted attacks.

"Mars, fire, SURROUND!"

"Jupiter, thunder, SUPREME!"

"Venus, love-me chain!"

"Mercury, bubbles, BLAST!"

Sailor Moon darted out of the onslaught of attacks, barely managing to dodge a bolt of lightning.

"Took you long enough!" She hissed to the senshi, who were throwing everything they had at Zoicite.

Zoicite, on the other hand, was doing a decent enough job dodging their attacks. He had just finished avoiding a circle of flames when he leapt up into the sky.

"I'll leave the rest to the youma," he said. He glanced at Sailor Moon. "Remember Sailor Moon, I know everything about you!" He disappeared into thin air. Sailor Moon stared at the place he had once occupied unblinkingly. _What did he mean by that? What could he possibly know about me?_

"Sailor Moon!" cried Luna from behind. Usagi's head jerked up just in time to see a razor sharp vine making its way to her skull.

Before she knew what was happening, a voice rang out, "Tuxedo, the smoking bomber!" The vine fell to the ground and she found herself in the familiar arms of someone very warm.

"Th-thanks," she barely managed to choke out. Tuxedo Kamen was peering into her eyes curiously and she couldn't help blushing in spite of herself.

"You remind me of someone," he said more to himself than to her. Her pulse picked up as she stared back at him, losing herself in the deep passages of his midnight eyes. She leaned in closer to him, eyes never leaving his.

"Sailor Moon!" She jerked her head away from his and turned towards the approaching senshi, embarrassed. How horrible it would have been had she kissed him. He didn't know that she was Usagi; it wouldn't have been pretty.

Wordlessly, Tuxedo Kamen righted Usagi and looked over her as if he were making sure she was okay.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Luna called out, just as the hero had turned to leave. "Are you a friend or enemy?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We're looking for the same thing," he paused, thinking, "so I guess that makes us enemies." He nodded at Usagi and with a swish of his cape, he was gone.

Usagi stared after him, body still burning from where he had touched it.

The senshi immediately descended upon her. "What did he mean by that? What is he looking for?" demanded Rei.

"The same thing we are; the Silver Imperium Crystal," answered Luna simply.

"Enemies," whispered Usagi, staring transfixed at the spot Tuxedo Kamen had been standing.

"Usagi-chan," Luna warned, "you'd better stay away from him."

Usagi said nothing, still staring off into the distance in a daze. She was interrupted by Minako's arm, which found its way over her shoulders. "Let's get you home, okay?" Usagi looked up at her, confused and Minako simply winked, as if they shared a secret. "You can tell me about it later," she whispered and Usagi simply nodded.

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"So then my brooch started vibrating and I just left him there," Usagi was saying to Minako as they were sipping milkshakes at the arcade. They had retreated to a cozy booth in the back where they wouldn't be overheard.

"He must have transformed the second I left," she continued, voice growing quiet as she recalled his words from yesterday's battle. _Enemies. That's what they were now._

"Well," Minako said sagely, "he doesn't know you're Sailor Moon. Therefore, he can't be held accountable for the things he says to you as Tuxedo Kamen."

"I think he's suspicious though," Usagi remarked as she took a generous gulp of milkshake. She remembered what he had said about her reminding him of someone. He had to be talking about her. After all, who else could remind him of Usagi than Usagi herself?

"You'd better lay low for awhile then," Minako advised and Usagi couldn't help but smile at her gratefully.

"Thanks for listening to me," she said.

Minako swatted the air with her palm. "No problem. I'm the senshi of love, remember?"

Usagi pouted. "You get love and I get the moon. How useful is that?"

"Better not let Luna hear you saying that," Minako teased.

"Who's Luna?" a voice asked, sending both girls nearly toppling out of their seats.

"M-Mamoru," Usagi said, looking up at the upperclassmen, who was leaning nonchalantly against their booth.

He raised both hands innocently. "Sorry, that's all I heard, I promise." His lip twitched, as if he were trying not to smile.

Minako peered at him suspiciously. "We believe you," she said, though not sounding thoroughly convinced.

He licked his lips almost nervously. "I was wondering if I could have a word with Odango."

Usagi started to speak, but Minako cut her off. "Usagi has to be home. Now. She er...is late to her uh piano lesson." She grabbed Usagi's arm and began dragging her out of the arcade.

Mamoru stared after them in surprise. He was pretty sure Odango didn't play the piano...

When they were finally outside, Usagi wrenched her arm out of Minako's grips and scowled at the girl.

"Piano lesson? Really?"

"Er sorry," Minako said. "Spur of the moment. You understand." Usagi sighed, looking miserable. "Give it time, Usagi," Minako said gently. "If you guys are really meant to be, you'll find each other eventually."

Usagi nodded, barely aware of what her friend was saying and stared dejectedly into the street. The guy she liked thought they were enemies and on top of that she had to avoid him._ Now I'll never find out what he was going to say to me._

--------*------------*------------*-----------

"Twenty three...twenty four..." Usagi stopped and sighed. Counting bunnies was just not going to do the trick tonight. For an entire week, Usagi had been plagued with a particularly nasty case of insomnia. She stayed awake for hours, unable to settle into a successful slumber until the early hours of the morning. It was so bad that Luna had been forced to sleep at Minako's because Usagi's constant tossing and turning rendered her unable to sleep herself.

Usagi had a tiny inkling as to the root of her sleeping problem, but it was far too embarrassing to admit even to herself. What would the other senshi think of her if they knew that a baka boy was keeping her up at night? It had been a full week since Usagi had made any contact whatsoever with said baka. She had been forced to wake up _early_ to avoid crashing into him and trips to the arcade after school were sparse.

Worst of all was the feeling Usagi woke up with in the morning. Before, she would be filled with excitement in the morning. Who knew what the day would have in store for her? Now, Usagi barely had a reason to wake up in the morning. If it weren't for the fact that all of Tokyo depended on her, she would probably stay huddled under her covers until she rotted.

Usagi took a deep breath and attempted to empty her mind. It helped her to keep picturing a white wall. As her eyelids slowly slipped closed, she began to feel a light breeze tickling the hair around her face. _Funny, I thought I closed the window._ The breeze persisted and Usagi could faintly smell the scent of outdoors. Her eyes blinked open and she sat up.

A shrouded figure stood by her window.

"Don't scream."

Usagi stared at the source of that deep, smooth voice. _I'm dreaming. This is all a dream. There is no way that Mamoru is sitting on my window sill._ But he was. He was dressed as Tuxedo Kamen, but without the mask and top-hat. She remembered that she wasn't supposed to know he was Tuxedo Kamen, which would explain why he wasn't wearing the complete outfit.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi managed to choke out.

He lifted an eyebrow playfully. "Nice to see you too."

Usagi ignored the thudding of her heart, which was becoming a nuisance, and continued in a barely audible whisper, "You're going to get me in trouble."

He walked quietly over to her and sat down on the edge of her bed, choosing to ignore her comment. "Have you been ill?"

Usagi shook her head numbly, staring at him in a daze.

He looked at her quizzically. "Then where have you been all week?"

"Oh," Usagi said. "I've been...busy."

"It's been bothering me, for some reason," he admitted, looking perplexed. Usagi looked down and realized he had grabbed her hand and was absently stroking her palm. She was thankful for the open window, for she was finding it awfully difficult to breathe all of a sudden.

"What's with the cape and tuxedo?" she asked, pretending she didn't know that he regularly wore it to defend the city from evil.

"Oh," he said, looking down at his clothes as if he had just realized they were there. "I was at...a costume party."

"Interesting," she whispered, her eyes on the warm fingers that were sending jolts of electricity up the length of her arm.

_What would Luna say if she saw me right now? Or Minako? _At that moment, Usagi realized that for once, she didn't care about what Luna or anyone else thought. _I'm pretty sure this is a dream anyways. I might as well enjoy it._

Her mind made up, Usagi slid over to where he was sitting, so that they were thigh-to-thigh. He peered at her curiously, and refusing to break eye contact, she gently cupped his beautiful face in her tiny hands. The skin beneath her fingers was smooth and so warm, she couldn't help running her fingers along his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw and brushing a finger across his soft lips.

She wished with every fiber of her being that she could kiss those lips. _I forgot this was a dream. I can do whatever I want, can't I?_ She brought her lips close to his, still looking into his eyes. He stared back unwaveringly, and when she gently brushed her lips across his as a test, his eyes closed and he grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her lips more firmly against his. Their lips parted simultaneously and she knew then that she really was dreaming. Only in a dream could something feel this good.

Ever so slowly, he laid her back against her pillow, so that he was more-or-less leaning overtop of her. She hastily grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled down, so that he actually _was _overtop of her. Their mouths danced hungrily, with the long-kept passion of two lovers who hadn't kissed for a very long time.

Usagi never wanted her dream to end. This kiss was so much more than the one from a year ago. She was pouring all of her emotions into it: the longing, the pining. She was intent on showing him just how much he had been missed.

They continued to kiss, as if their very lives depended on it. When they finally broke apart, they were panting as if they'd just run a marathon. He removed his hands from the silky web of her hair and stood up.

"I have to go now," he said, breathing unevenly.

"Okay," Usagi breathed, eyes glazed. She followed him to her window, where he stepped easily out of it and onto the roof. She gripped the sides of the window and stuck her head out to him.

"Goodnight, Usako," he said, before kissing her softly on the mouth for the last time.

Usagi's head spun both from the sweet kiss he had bestowed upon her and the endearment._ He called me his little bunny. _The thudding of her heart was louder now and her voice was barely a whisper. "Bye, Mamo-chan."

She watched him leave and when she was sure he was gone, Usagi retreated to her bed. For the first time in a solid week, she was asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

--------*------------*------------*-----------

**Review, review, review!**

**Tell me what you thought about all the fluff. Too much? Not enough? –bounces up and down- LET ME KNOW! **

**-Glitterpop**


	4. Guilt

Longing for You

_A/N:_

SORRY for the complete lack of updates on this story. No, I have not abandoned this story, I was simply more occupied with my inspiration for other stories. I promise I will be a good girl and update this one more frequently! Anyways, enough of my ramblings and on with chapter three!

* * *

Chapter Three

Guilt, guilt, guilt. It clawed at her insides and seemed intent on making her miserable. She breathed deeply, steadying her nerves. _Last night was a dream. I did nothing wrong._ Somehow, the sentiment didn't make her feel any better.

School, to put it simply, had been terrible. She had found it nearly impossible to look any of the senshi in the eyes and even talking had proven to be increasingly difficult. She had to watch what she said, in the case that her tendency to blurt things off the top of her head decided to turn itself against her.

The worst part of the whole thing was that, though she felt guilty, she knew she would have done the same thing if given the chance. As much as she tried to deny it, she had wanted that night, wanted _him_. Her heart still pounded furiously at the memory of his lips, hot and insistent, on hers.

_He doesn't know I'm Sailor Moon._ The thought troubled her. Even more troubling was his own identity. _He hasn't told me that he's Tuxedo Kamen. _He had kissed her, more than once, but he still hadn't relayed the fact that he was Tokyo's favorite masked hero. She knew she should come clean with him and admit that she knew who he was, but she wanted him to tell her for himself. She wanted him to trust her.

Usagi halted on the sidewalk, school bag hanging limply from one arm. She'd managed to scrape by without a detention for the day, but she was now faced with the heady decision of deciding where to go after school. The guilt inside her stomach roiled at the thought of going to the arcade. All her friends would surely be there. The very friends who had trusted her to stick to her convictions and stay away from Tuxedo Kamen.

Home was equally as unappealing. Her lack of sleep and persistent daydreams of the previous night had wrecked havoc upon her latest math test. Her mom was going to have her head when she got home.

"Usagi-chan!"

Usagi whipped her head around, heart racing in dread, and was greeted by the sight of a cherry Minako racing across the busy street towards her. She briefly wondered if it would be possible to pretend she hadn't seen her and sprint to the safety of her home. A lecture from her mom seemed more appealing than facing her friend. She saw the determined look in Minako's eyes and knew that an escape would be fruitless.

Pasting a forced smile on her face, she called out to her approaching friend, "V-Chan!"

Panting slightly, Minako rested a hand against the adjacent fence and eyed Usagi warily. "You look weird."

She laughed weakly at her blunt observation, cursing her face for being so easily readable. "It's been a looo-ooong day." She blew out an over-dramatic sigh for effect.

Minako arched an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly. "So where are you headed?"

Usagi faltered, unsure of how to proceed. The truth was, she wasn't sure _where _she was headed. "Uh, I'm off to take a walk in the park."

"Oh?" Minako looked suspicious. "You sure you don't want to head down to the arcade with me?"

"No, no! I've spent my week's allowance already." She silently prayed that the blonde would ask no questions.

"Please, Motoki would spot you a milkshake!"

Usagi winced internally. The web of lies she was weaving was becoming ridiculously intricate. "It's fine. I think I need to clear my head."

Minako seemed appeased for the time being and, after bidding her goodbye, left her to assess the situation. She had told her that she would be in the park, so she supposed she might as well go there.

Feeling slightly better about her situation, Usagi strolled down the sidewalk, her step lighter than it had been all day. The park was exactly what she needed. Something to get her mind off all of her betrayals.

She strode merrily into the park, the corners of her mouth inching upwards as the sun warmed her skin and set her golden hair alight. Sometimes she forgot how good it was to be alive. She parked herself on a bench, swinging her legs in merriment. Nothing could ruin this moment, this extreme peacefulness that had been sun-soaked into her being.

"Odango!" a deep voice called out from behind her. Usagi spun around, her heart flipping wildly in her chest. Her peace shattered, she looked around in a panic for a quick escape. She had come to the conclusion that she couldn't control herself in his presence and therefore had to avoid him at all costs. She refused to betray Minako's trust for a second time.

She jumped up from the bench and darted behind the thickest tree she could find, panting slightly at the exertion. Peering ever-so-slightly from behind the trunk of the tree, she scanned the pathway for any signs of the dark-haired intruder. The coast seemed clear. She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that just this once she had managed to...

"Playing hide and seek, Odango?"

Instinct taking over her, she spun around and poised her arm to punch, but a warm hand enclosed her wrist in his strong fingers.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Usagi proclaimed, wrenching her hand from his irresistible grip.

Mamoru frowned. "I wouldn't have to sneak if you didn't run away."

Usagi's eye twitched as her mind scrambled to come up with her latest lie. "I was _not _running away, baka!

"Uh-huh," he said, looking as if he didn't believe her.

Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits and she made a move to run away, but he stepped in front of her.

"Is there a reason you decided to hide from me?"

"I told you I wasn't hiding!" Usagi insisted. "It was getting hot and I needed a bit of shade."

"You're not a very convincing liar," he drawled, blue eyes sparkling deviously. Usagi gulped.

"'Am so!" Usagi took another step back and realized she had backed into the tree.

"So you admit you were lying?" He grinned and took another step forward; resting a hand against the tree she was backed against. Usagi resisted the urge to visibly swoon as the intoxicating smell of him wafted into her nose. _Stay calm._

"No..." she whispered, unaware of what she was even saying.

"Your eyes get really wide when you lie," he told her, not breaking the eye contact between them.

"No they do-" Usagi was silenced by the force of his lips crashing down against hers. She didn't even hesitate, knowing that resistance was futile. She grabbed him around the waist, pulling him closer to her and he pushed her up against the tree, threading his fingers through her hair.

Urged by the insistent beatings of her heart, she eagerly delved into his mouth in an attempt to put out the fire that was blazing in the pit of her stomach.

Mamoru, on the other hand, was practically in shock. During their previous kisses, Usagi had been hesitant and nervous, but today she was aggressive, tilting her head to the side and practically devouring his mouth. Not to say that he didn't enjoy it, because he _definitely_ was enjoying it.

A flash of lightning followed by the deafening roll of thunder echoed overhead, but for the very first time in her life, Usagi didn't even notice it. She was gripping the back of Mamoru's shirt as if her life depended on it, and neither of them took notice of the onslaught of rain that was berating down on them.

As the rain soaked her thoroughly, Usagi's came to her senses. She tore her mouth from Mamoru's and stared up at him, breathing heavily.

"This is wrong," she said unevenly.

"'Don't care," Mamoru answered breathlessly, grabbing her head and reuniting their lips. Usagi promptly forgot what she had been saying and surrendered herself to him once more.

Another roll of thunder shook the ground and she snapped out of it for a second time.

"We can't do this!" she proclaimed. Mamoru ignored her and began kissing her neck. Usagi couldn't breathe.

She ducked skillfully out of his grasp and increased the space between them. "I have to stay away from you.

"Why?" Mamoru asked, staring hungrily at her swollen lips.

"Well...," she paused, unsure of how to proceed. She couldn't exactly tell him that she knew he was Tuxedo Kamen without facing the wrath of Luna and the girls.

Mamoru couldn't help but smile at the sight of the pondering girl with her deliciously swollen mouth and rumpled golden hair.

"I just have to!" She finally replied.

"Usako....," Mamoru began, closing the distance between them. She melted at this, and nearly gave into the gentle look in his eyes, but Minako's face sprung up in her mind and she found herself backing further away.

"I'm sorry!" She called, before sprinting down the park pathway and in the direction of the arcade.

* * *

Usagi burst through the arcade doors in a huff and immediately made a beeline for the girls' booth. She sat down as inconspicuously as she could manage, ignoring the blatant stares of the arcade customers. She supposed she _did_ look a little crazy, with her hair wet and plastered to the sides of her head and the heavy pants she was emitting.

"You're wet," Rei stated dully.

"Well...it _is_ raining outside," Usagi replied, wringing out an odango and ignoring the priestess' look of disgust as water pooled around the vinyl seat.

Minako studied her with a critical eye and Usagi shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was almost as if she _knew_. "I thought you were going for a walk in the park."

"It's raining cats and dogs, Minako! Of course she's not strolling around the park!" Usagi cast Makoto a grateful smile, though it was technically true. It was a universal fact that the rain and Usagi didn't mix. Minako conceded to this statement and Usagi got up to go order a milkshake from the counter.

She engaged in a light banter with Motoki, and her heart beat had actually managed to return to its normal pace when the door to the arcade was wrenched open and a deliciously drenched Mamoru sauntered inside, panting slightly.

He immediately began making his way over to her, throwing her into a state of panic. Her eyes darted towards the senshi, who were watching the scene play out with keen interest.

"Usagi," he began, but Usagi didn't allow him the chance to finish. She hopped off the barstool, abandoning her milkshake and slipped out into the pouring rain. Just as she had suspected, he was quick to follow. This way, she wouldn't have to deal with Minako's judgmental eyes.

"Is there something you needed, Mamoru?" she asked sweetly, maintaining a false air of innocence.

He looked annoyed and ignored her question. "Why do you keep running away from me?"

"Why do you keep kissing me?" she countered. His eyes darted to her lips and she felt a tingle in the pit of her stomach. God she wanted to kiss him.

"You didn't answer my question." His eyes were still on her lips.

"Well you didn't answer mine!"

He ran a hand through his raven hair and chuckled darkly. "I missed you, Usako."

Usagi's throat tightened. "You could've written, you know. Or called or something."

"You ran away before I could say anything. I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me," he admitted.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't already like you, baka!" Usagi sputtered.

He was nearing her now, a twinkle in his ocean eyes. "Is that so?"

Her mouth had gone dry and she found herself to be incapable of replying. He remedied the situation by stealing her breath away with a heart-stopping kiss. She melted against him instantly, his lips sweet and wet from the rain. He groaned and muttered something unintelligible against her lips.

The rain was forgotten, the people in the arcade were forgotten, and worst of all, the senshi were forgotten.

"Ehem!" Usagi was roused from Mamoru's embrace by the throat clearing of Rei, who stood at the threshold of the arcade alongside the other senshi.

"When did this happen?" Makoto asked bluntly.

Usagi, still wrapped in Mamoru's arms, stepped away from the teenaged boy and studied the expression on Minako's face. She looked perplexed and almost a little hurt.

Mamoru, sensing the awkwardness between the girls, shot Usagi a serious look. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

She nodded, unable to reject him, her lips still raw with the tenderness of his kisses. She turned to Minako then. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

The other senshi looked suspicious, but they complied and filed back into the arcade leaving Minako and Usagi standing before the entrance.

"You could have told me, you know," Minako said, "You didn't have to sneak around."

"I didn't mean to," Usagi insisted. "It just...happened."

Minako's face broke out into a grin. "I forgive you. I'm the Senshi of Love, remember? Who am I to get in the way of fate?"

Usagi never felt more relieved in her life. "Oh really, Minako? You don't know how glad that makes me. I really need your expertise on this one!"

"I'm happy to be of service," she quipped.

Usagi, delighted at having her friend once again on her side, launched into the story of their meeting in her room and so forth. After the whole sordid tale was told, they agreed that something had to be done on Usagi's part. It was her turn to chase Mamoru.

"I think Motoki has his address," Minako said, eyebrow raised.

"Then what are we standing around out here for?"

* * *

_A/N:_

Sorry for the shortness (again) and sorry if it sucked. I'm trying to get back into the swing of the story line. Be sure to tell me what you thought so that I'll be able to get out the next chapter in a timelier manner. Yes timelier is a word, my spellcheck just told me so. Weird, right?


	5. Breakdown

_A/N:_ Can I just say how awesome you guys are? All your reviews made me squeal. And 400 visitors? You guys are insane ;) but I think some of you are holding out on me. Haha. This chapter is a little serious, but I'm not sure if it came off as cheesy, so you'll have to read and let me know...

_Disclaimer:_ If I owned Sailor Moon, Mamo-chan would have his shirt off more often... .....just sayin'... ..

* * *

Chapter Four: Breakdown

* * *

The soft trickling of the subsiding rain, the gentle hum of the air conditioner, and the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee saturating the air from the kitchen were all contributors to the atmosphere of calm that surrounded Chiba Mamoru's apartment. That is, until a rough clanking sound broke out from the fire escape followed by the dark mutterings of some choice words in an all too familiar voice.

Mamoru, who was reclining on the couch and rubbing at his freshly showered head with a towel, looked up in alarm. He was almost positive he had been hearing things. After all, there was no way that could have been the voice of Odango outside his window. It had probably been a dog or some random neighbor messing around on the fire escape. Definitely not Usagi.

He threw the towel on the floor and was just standing up to pour himself a cup of coffee when his ears registered the sound of his window being slid up. His Tuxedo Kamen instincts immediately kicked in and he mounted off the couch, flipping through the air, and landed expertly in front of the window...where he found Usagi.

"Jeez, Mamoru. It's just me. You didn't have to go all Jackie Chan."

Usagi, hair loose and dripping slightly from the rain, rubbed her soon-to-be bruised knee protectively. Now he knew what the clanging had been all about. His lips twitched slightly upwards. She looked so pretty with her flushed cheeks and flowing hair that had he not been so amused, he might have pinned her to the floor and kissed her right then and there.

"Usagi," he began, "what in the world are you doing in my apartment?"

She ignored his question, staring intently at his naked torso with wide eyes. "Did you just get out of the shower?"

Mamoru realized that he was clad only in a pair of grey sweatpants and smirked at the goggling blonde. "Nice observation skills, Usa, but I repeat my initial question: what are you doing in my apartment?'

Usagi managed to look offended. "I climbed the fire escape just to come see you and this is the welcome I get?"

He gave a deep chuckle. "You could have just taken the elevator like any normal person."

"Oh." Usagi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, you climbed through my window so I thought it was only fair I climbed through yours."

Mamoru could think of no counter-argument for this and instead invited her to sit down. "Do you want anything to drink?"

Usagi declined and crossed her legs in a business-like manner on the couch. This did not go unnoticed by Mamoru, whose eyes were instinctively drawn to her slender legs. She cleared her throat in an attempt to recapture his drifting attention. "I came here to tell you...something, Mamoru-san."

He sat down on the couch next to her. "And what would that be?"

"Well..." She shifted anxiously in her seat. "I wanted to say I was sorry...for running away and all that."

His eyebrows rose and she noticed that he had slid over closer to her. "Oh?"

It was all she could do but nod, his face getting closer and closer to her own. There was a determined look in his navy eyes.

"Well would you run away again if I kissed you?"

She shook her head and the instant the gesture had registered in Mamoru's mind, he pulled her to him in a kiss that was so electric, she felt her nerves short circuiting. She opened up to him immediately, allowing him to press her body into the couch and ruthlessly explore her mouth.

She responded by running her hands along his bare stomach, feeling the hard muscles tense under her ginger touch. Their hearts accelerated simultaneously. They kissed until the need to breathe overpowered their need for each other. When they broke apart in order to breathe, they were both panting heavily.

"God, Usagi," Mamoru said hoarsely, kissing her cheek repeatedly, "you taste so good."

"Mamoru," Usagi began breathily, "I should probably get back to Minako's."

He hugged her tighter, burying his face into her damp hair. "Don't go. Stay with me, angel."

She sighed dreamily, unable to resist his pleading sapphire eyes. "Alright."

His delighted smile was so boyishly sweet, she wanted to kiss him until she passed out from lack of oxygen. And so she did.

* * *

The morning breeze sifted through the curtains and played with the golden hair down Usagi's back. She gave a contented sigh, stroking the underside of Mamoru's chin as she gazed at the ceiling placidly. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt so satisfied with her life. It seemed as if all her life had been leading her towards one person, and she had finally found him. She burrowed her nose once more into the slightly oversized shirt he had lent her and smiled at his unique scent.

She had never left his side all night and despite the fact that she had been sharing a bed with a hormonal teenaged boy, she never once feared that he would do something she wasn't ready for. In fact, she almost wished that he had. She knew it was dangerous, falling so fast and so hard for someone, but she couldn't help it. The boy slumbering next to her was everything.

"Mamo-chan?"

The eighteen year old stirred beside her, staring dreamily up at her with sapphire eyes. "Hmm?"

Usagi's heart skipped at the mere sight of him so sleepy-eyed and handsome. They'd spent the night talking about everything until they fell asleep. He had told her about his parents and their deaths and she had told him everything there was to know about her...except for one thing.

They had been completely honest with each other the night before, but somehow Usagi couldn't bring herself to broach the topic of her being Sailor Moon. Deep down, she realized that she wanted _him_ to confide in her first. However, he had yet to do so and her patience was wearing thin. She realized that maybe if she told him her identity first he would follow suit.

"Listen, there's something else you should probably know about me."

His eyebrows rose noticeably. "What would that be?" He looked worried.

She giggled. "It's nothing bad. Just...another side of me, you could say."

"Oh?" He looked intrigued.

"Well, you see--" A shrill beeping noise halted her confession.

Usagi knew that noise. Usagi _loathed_ that noise. That noise could only mean one thing...

"Youma attack in the park! Get here stat!"

Huddled in the corner of the bathroom, Usagi snapped her communicator shut and rejoined Mamoru, who was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

She hugged him from behind, breathing him in one last time until she bounded off to the park to save humanity, where she knew he would shortly join her. "I have to go, I'll explain later!"

She transformed as she ran and when she finally arrived at the park to meet the frenzied senshi, she knew he was there with her.

The youma was surprisingly easy to defeat.

It had taken a few hits from the senshi and with a fling of her tiara, the beast was moon dust. Tuxedo Kamen hadn't had to go through the trouble of saving her; he'd ended up watching the battle from a tree limb and dropping to the ground to congratulate her when the beast was terminated.

Their victory wasn't as glorious as it usually was. Each of them was left with an uneasy feeling. Never before had a youma been so swiftly defeated. It was almost...unnatural. They threw each other a questioning glance, as if making sure that it wasn't all a dream.

However, their temporary state of relieved confusion was short lived. A dark flash, like a bolt of lightning, rendered them blind. When they could see properly once more, they were greeted by the ominous sight of none other than Zoicite, a predatory smile curved on his face.

"Zoicite! What are you doing here?" Makoto's fists rose, poised to fight.

He gave a thunderous laugh, ignoring her challenge. "I'm just here to congratulate you on your triumph over my poor youma." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"What's your point?" snapped Rei.

He ignored her and continued with his tirade. "Such a collaborative effort. You guys seem to make such a good team." His eyes darted over to Tuxedo Kamen, who was tensed to fight. "Tuxedo Kamen too. It's a good thing you guys get along so well. You seem to have such an _honest _relationship." He was staring at Sailor Moon now, who had begun to fidget anxiously.

"In fact," Zoicite continued, "I bet you guys are good friends as civilians too."

The senshi of the moon's eyes were wide now, her heart pumping with fear. It seemed that Zoicite was slowly coming to a conclusion she knew would be dangerous. She needed to stop him now.

"Would you teleport out of here already?" she shouted. It wasn't the most mature of responses, but under the circumstances it would have to do.

Zoicite's eyes became narrowed. "Oh, but I think I should remind you of one little fact: I know everything about you. More, in fact, than someone who saves your life on a daily basis."

The senshi, as well as Tuxedo Kamen, looked puzzled at this. Usagi, however, was panicked. She figured the best way to get out of it was to bluff. "So? Who cares if he doesn't know? It's not like it matters. We're nothing to each other outside of the battlefield."

It was a lie, a total and complete lie, but if Zoicite believed it, then Mamoru would never know the difference.

Zoicite's face hardened, and for a moment it appeared he had admitted defeat. That is, until he opened his mouth once again. "Does _he_ know that? How do you think he'd feel to know that you knew his identity all along but you were too cowardly to reveal it to him?"

This time, it was Tuxedo Kamen who spoke. "What the hell is he talking about, Sailor Moon?"

"Well it looks like the cats out of the bag. Should I break it to him or do you want to do the honors, Sailor Moon? Or do you prefer...Usagi?" Zoicite cackled.

"What?" Tuxedo Kamen's eyes had hardened and his voice was low and stern.

Before Usagi could say another word, Zoicite shrugged his shoulders. "Well I think I'm going to take your advice and teleport." In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Mamoru, ripping off his white mask, stalked over to her now. The other senshi, sans Minako, gasped as his civilian identity was revealed. "Tell me he's kidding. Tell me you're not Usagi."

"Uh...," her throat had locked up, rendering her a stuttering idiot.

He looked so angry, it almost gave her goose bumps. "So Zoicite was right? It's been you all this time, Usagi? You knew it was me, but you didn't bother to let me know you were Sailor Moon?"

"You never bothered to tell me you were Tuxedo Kamen either!"

"Because I didn't know you were Sailor Moon and I wasn't going to put you in danger by telling you my identity!" he roared. "But you knew who I was the whole time and pretended like you didn't!" His voice got softer as he recalled her earlier words to Zoicite. "Do I really mean that little to you?"

"N-no!" Her eyes were watering now and she knew she was going to start crying. "I didn't mean any of that. I just said that so he would shut up!"

"Why, so you could go on lying to me?" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"No! I wanted to tell you for myself, I swear!"

Despite her reassurances, his deep, penetrating eyes were clouded with mistrust and hurt. "How can I believe anything you say now?"

Usagi said nothing, her throat clogged with too much emotion. The look on his face was breaking her heart and her brain was scrambling to catch up with her many grievances.

He turned away from her, eyes hardened. "I think you were right the first the first time. We're nothing to each other outside the battle field." Her ears registered a swishing sound and a flash of black cape flew in a blur past her watery eyes. He was gone as swiftly as the wind.

Her concerned senshi rushed to her, asking if she was alright and patting her arm consolingly, but she couldn't hear them. She could only hear his voice; so disappointed and hurt. He had confided in her and told her his biggest secret, but she hadn't been able to tell him hers.

Suddenly, the reality of her loss began to close in on her, tearing her apart from the inside. The last thing she saw before she embraced the blackness that was overtaking her was the alarmed faces of her senshi.

* * *

_A/N:_ Please _review._ I know it was short (again) but I wanted to leave it there. I might go change this chapter later, because I'm not really sure if it came out the way I wanted it to, so be sure to tell me what you think. Honesty is nice, but don't be too mean ;)


	6. Determination

A/N: Er...I'm back! Well if anybody is still reading this, I'm SO SORRY that it has taken me so long to update. Clearly, I'm the laziest human being on this planet. I could prattle off a million excuses, but you probably don't care. Anyhow, I know this chapter is despicably short, but I had to end it there. It's barely even a chapter really. But whatever. I haven't written this in so long the writing might be off/OOC, so just tell me what you think. Seriously, your reviews mean the world to me and are the reason I haven't given up on this story, though I was mightily tempted to. Hopefully, you will hear from me sooner! –G

***

Longing For You

***

Chapter Six: Determination

***

The days went by agonizingly slow for Usagi. If she had been messed up over Mamoru before, it paled in comparison to the wreck she was now. Even the simple task of waking up required an immense amount of effort—more so than usual.

Despite the tight feeling she felt in the center of her chest and the way the room began to sway anytime her mind drifted into dangerous thoughts about jet-black hair and sapphire eyes, she had tried to keep up the semblance of normalcy. This had proven to be more difficult that she had first surmised, for her dwindling interesting in the world around her made itself known in the way she talked, acted, and even how she held herself.

The only purposefulness she could inspire in her shattered soul was the determination to avoid Mamoru at all costs.

Complicated routes to school and an alternate after school hangout was required, but it was all fairly manageable.

The worst part had been her friends. Only Minako knew the majority of what was going on and even then Usagi couldn't bring herself to discuss it with her. She figured that Minako hadn't told the other senshi yet, because they kept asking her what was wrong and exchanging worried glances.

"I'm fine," Usagi would insist. She didn't need them worried about her. Not when the world was so dependant on them to be strong. After all, her misery was entirely of her own doing.

_We mean nothing to each other outside of the battlefield._

How her heart hurt. It was slightly comical that a simple sentence could wound her more than all of the youma in the Negaverse combined. How pathetic she must look: Tokyo's Champion of Justice grief-stricken over a _guy_. And not just any guy, but the city's mysterious masked man. It was the stuff soap operas were made of.

She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off of her current pile of miseries. She needed...Sailor V.

Scanning the clear glass windows of the arcade for an infamous mop of dark hair, she breathed a sigh of relief. The coast was clear.

She slipped a half-hour's worth of coins into the shiny machine and let herself get lost. Tongue out in concentration, fingers jabbing at buttons with acute precision; she had forgotten how nice this was.

Her mind completely absorbed in the task of virtual butt-kicking was sweet relief. It was no surprise that time flew or that she failed to notice the appearance of Motoki over her shoulder.

"Usagi-chan? It's been so long I'm surprised I even recognize you," the arcade worker joked.

She forced a laugh and winced at how raspy it sounded. How long had she gone without speaking?

Motoki was eyeing her curiously now, with two blonde brows furrowed. "Are you okay, Usagi-chan? Are you sick or something?"

Had her heart been whole, his concern would have been touching, but as it stood she just felt annoyed. "I feel fine." It was practically her catchphrase these days.

"Maybe it's that bug that's going around. I think Mamoru has it too. You should have seen him this morning..." He trailed off, apparently too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice the way Usagi's eyes snapped shut in pain at the casual mention of _his_ name.

Suddenly, the arcade felt suffocating and the previously captivating whirl coming from the row of video games sounded like a taunt to her.

"I think you're right, onii-san. I better go home and rest."

Without waiting for a reply, she trudged numbly out of the clear doors to the arcade and smack into a brick wall.

Every muscle in Usagi's body tensed. There was a time when she had lived for the moment when she would be knocked to the ground by that familiar hard body. The racing of her heart and sweaty palms told her that now was not one of those times.

Feeling slightly masochistic, she looked up into those cold navy eyes and observed his open mouth poised to articulate something.

Summoning all her inner strength, she utilized her suddenly weak limbs and brought herself up off the ground.

And then she ran.

"Usagi-chan? You've been in bed since this afternoon. Are you really not going to eat?"

Luna's concern transformed into full-on horror when a fluffy projectile was thrown her way.

"Why is your voice so _shrill_?" groaned Usagi beneath her mountain of covers.

Luna managed to look offended and hopped onto the bed with the grace that only a cat could acquire. "Usagi-chan, this has gotten ridiculous. You are Sailor Moon! What kind of Senshi behaves this way?"

"The kind who feels like someone kicked a hole through their chest," came Usagi's soft reply.

Luna's face softened. "Oh, Usagi-chan."

"I know, I know. I'm acting pathetic. I'm sorry." She breathed a heavy sigh.

"No, no. I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be your guardian. I shouldn't be so hard on you."

Usagi stayed silent. The only sign that she was indeed still alive was the sound of her even breathing coming from under her cocoon of blankets.

Luna, however, was not to be deterred. "Usagi, you can't keep doing this to yourself. I won't pretend that I know what happened between you and Mamoru-san," Luna could practically feel Usagi's wince at the sound of his name, "but Zoicite is still out there. You can never let your guard down. You can never stop fighting"

This statement was accompanied by more silence, and Luna began to feel irritated. The cat was about to call it quits for the night, when a blonde head popped out from under the cocoon. Luna was astonished to see a blazing look in the blonde's otherwise weary eyes.

"You're right."

Luna could barely believe her ears. She coughed. "Pardon?"

"I said you're right. Zoicite's still out there. And you know what? I'm not going to let him get away this time. I can never stop fighting!"

For a moment, Luna was too shocked to comprehend the implications of her words. Usagi never listened to her words of wisdom! Thankfully, she snapped back into reality when the blonde threw back her covers. "'This time'? Usagi-chan, why are you getting out of bed? It's nearly midnight!"

The senshi paid her no attention and began rooting through one of her bottom drawers until she brought forth the Moon Stick. Luna nearly coughed up a hairball.

"No," the cat croaked. "Usagi, you are not going to go out searching for Zoicite. Promise me that."

The shiny tip of the Moon Stick glinted by the dim of the moon. Despite Usagi's rat's nest of a hairstyle and tired features, her determination was bone-chillingly intimidating.

"I can't promise you that. I'm going to finish this once and for all. Just me and him."

"Usagi, are you—are you _mad_? I can't possibly allow you to do this without backup."

The blonde grabbed her henshin brooch off of the nightstand and quietly nudged her window open.

"Usagi, I command you to come back here _this instant_!"

Usagi turned her head and looked almost sadly at the cat. "I was never very good at following commands."

With a snap of finality, the window slid closed and Usagi was unleashed into the midnight.

***

To be continued...


	7. Dawn

**Longing for You**

* * *

A/N: So here it is! The last chapter! I'm so, so sorry that it took this long to come and I could go on and on about why, but I doubt you guys really care, so I will just say THANK YOU to all those who still stuck with it (if any of you guys are left) and to all those who put this on alert. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

* * *

**Chapter Seven:** Dawn

* * *

Sailor Moon raced down the slick Tokyo street as if the devil himself was after her. She was no fool; she knew that she had a limited time frame in which to take on Zoicite single-handedly. It was only a matter of minutes until Luna alerted the other senshi of her vigilante mission.

Except, Usagi noted bitterly, she hadn't exactly planned out how to go about challenging Zoicite. There was no magical door with the words "Portal to the Negaverse, enter at your own risk" flashing above the threshold, now was there?

Juuban Park was eerily silent. A splash of goosebumps cropped up on the back of Usagi's neck as she glanced behind her to make sure she was alone. The lone senshi couldn't help but feel the slightest bit creeped out being all alone in the desolate park. After all, she lived in Tokyo, where quiet was decidedly unnatural.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Usagi trilled, feeling quite like she was playing a rather high-stakes game of hide and seek. Except she couldn't shake the suspicion that she was the hider instead of the one seeking.

Usagi headed over to the tree where Zoicite had last appeared at. Feeling stupid, she lifted a hand and gave the bark a few good knocks. "Is anybody there? Feel free to come and get me."

No response.

Suddenly, Usagi felt extremely silly. She had made a big, dramatic scene with Luna and walked out all so that she could go around knocking on trees. Everyone was probably worried sick, when in reality, all she had really done was take a stroll through the park.

Dejected, Usagi turned her back on the tree and aimed a swift kick at the nearest pebble. It ricocheted off the trunk of the adjacent tree and scuttled into oblivion. Sailor Moon sighed.

"You know, I don't normally do house calls."

Usagi whipped her head around to the source of that deep, cruel voice. "Zoicite," she sneered, holding the Moon Stick out in front of her. "It's good that you finally decided to show your face."

The general snorted and grinned malevolently. "On the contrary, I was waiting for the day when I would finally get to see _your_ face without it being surrounded by your precious senshi bodyguards."

"Then I guess it's your lucky day, because I'm ready to end this. One on one."

"How sweet," Zoicite cooed, a stomach-churning sound. "You actually thought I'd play fair?" With a snap of his gloved fingers, three youma appeared in midair. "You know, Usagi, I will truly miss these little tête-à-têtes once you're dead."

One of the youma let out an inhuman shriek. Usagi was paralyzed. She had definitely not expected this. She stepped back as the three youma advanced, talons poised to strike.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Usagi leapt up onto a tree limb to avoid being sliced in two by a glistening talon.

"Not cool, not cool at all," she yelped as a second youma hacked at the very tree limb she was crouched upon, sending her toppling towards the ground.

This elicited a cackle from Zoicite, who was watching gleefully from afar. "It's too bad your boy Tuxedo Kamen can't give you a hand."

Her insides instantly tightened, and the senshi felt a bubble of anger crackle in the bottom of her stomach. With a swiftness she had never thought herself capable of, she flung her tiara into the gut of the nearest youma and delivered a bone-cracking kick to the head of a second one.

A giggle nearly escaped as the injured youma glanced around in a daze and another one crumpled into moondust. Amidst her joy, Sailor Moon was unable to notice the leathery vine that the forgotten third youma had released until she felt it slithering around her ankle.

"Ouch," she mumbled, as it knocked her to the ground. Unfortunately, it knocked the Moon Stick out of her grasp in the process. Usagi chuckled nervously. "Um, do you mind getting that for me?" The youma's subsequent roar was hardly encouraging.

As the injured youma recovered from its daze, Usagi realized just how helpless she was; she was corned with out a single weapon. Her initial glee at defeating the first youma dissipated.

She was going to die. She was going to die with Mamoru mad at her. The despair she had felt when Mamoru had first walked away from her increased sevenfold as she closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable pain...

...That didn't come.

"Tuxedo, the smoking bomber!"

A dazzling display of lights and the brush of cool fingertips on her waist was all that registered in Usagi's mind before she was swept away.

She blinked up at the cool, blue eyes from behind that infamous white mask. Perhaps it was her Sailor powers surging, or the adrenaline that was currently coursing through her veins after surviving a near-death experience, but for the first time in days, Usagi felt okay. In fact, she felt better than okay. Just looking into those dark eyes made the world, which had felt as if it was flipping, right itself once more.

Mamoru, however, seemed to have a much less placid view on things, for he ripped off his mask and grabbed her around the shoulders furiously.

"How could you be so stupid?" he demanded.

Usagi blinked, and felt the familiar anger bubble up again. "I wasn't being stupid. I was taking action."

"Yeah, without your other senshi or any backup. Hence the stupidity."

"I'm not incapable," Usagi glared. "I don't need bodyguards for every single thing I do. I can take care of things by myself."

"Obviously not," Mamoru said, gesturing to the youma, who was slowly advancing toward the pair of them.

Usagi remained stubborn. "That was...er...a minor misstep."

"A minor misstep that could have gotten you killed!"

Usagi looked, really looked, at his weary face and saw the lines of worry etched into his forehead. He was concerned. For her.

"Look," she began, "I'm-"

But she never finished, because the youma they had been so foolishly ignoring fastened a claw around Mamoru's leg and the warrior galvanized into action.

Usagi cursed and sprinted back to the tree to fetch her forgotten Moon Stick. Where had the dratted thing gone anyways? She crawled along on her knees, briefly wondering if one of the youma had eaten or something.

"Um, Sailor Moon," called Mamoru, as he wrestled the youma off him, "a little help?"

"Er," Usagi replied, still scrambling on the ground, "just a second!"

"We're on it!" came a voice that sounded like heaven to Usagi's ears.

In a streak of blue, red, orange, and green, the Sailor Senshi appeared before her. Never had Usagi been so glad to see them.

"Jupiter, supreme thunder!" One of the youma was thrown to the ground with a flash of light. As the senshi and Tuxedo Kamen put up a good fight against the two youma, Usagi found herself unable to tear her eyes away.

That is, until she saw the slash of human flesh and heard Sailor Mars's outraged scream, followed by the haunting cackle of Zoicite.

Sailor Moon's scrambling became more panicked and she resorted to throwing leaves in the air in her haste to locate the Moon Stick.

When her hand brushed smooth metal, her heart nearly stopped. It was the Moon Stick – a slightly muddy Moon Stick, but a Moon Stick nonetheless.

Usagi leapt upwards – dirty knees and all. There was a youma to her left just begging to be moon dusted and the Senshi needed all the help they could get. They appeared to have reached a stalemate.

Except...there was someone who had yet to be factored into the equation. The puppeteer of the entire production, the one who was content to sit from afar and bask in the destruction caused by their own two hands.

Almost in slow motion, Usagi glanced over at Zoicite, who was cackling gleefully as Tuxedo Kamen narrowly dodged a thorn-covered vine, gashing his leg as it brushed past him.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Usagi was hurled into an adrenaline-soaked fury.

Wielding the Moon Stick with a regality even Luna would have smiled upon, Sailor Moon advanced upon the unaware Zoicite.

"Moon...crystal...POWER!"

.

.

.

Had Usagi not been so preoccupied with hurling all her power at her archrival, she would have noticed the senshi's heads whip around towards her or the whirlwind of colors encircle the deserted park.

What she did notice, however, was the shocked expression on Zoicite's face before he disintegrated into a pile of moon dust, along with the remaining youma.

For a moment, there was silence.

The senshi stared dumbly at the pile of ashed opponents. Usagi stared at the Moon Stick with a half-surprised, half-impressed look on her face. Tuxedo Kamen stared at her, his expression unreadable, but his eyes burning with something.

Oh dear.

Was it just her or had the temperature suddenly gone up? Usagi shifted from foot to foot, the tension in the air unbearable.

It was only natural that it would be Rei to cut right through it.

"Usagi, what the hell?" she demanded, ripping off her mask and converting back to her civilian form. Had the situation not been so somber, Usagi would have giggled at the curlers still wedged in the priestess's hair.

"You didn't have to give yourself away!" Jupiter proclaimed, gesturing towards Tuxedo Kamen.

Rei waved her off. "I'm sure he's been able to put two and two together. What I haven't been able to comprehend is why Usagi thought it was okay to take on three youma without backup."

"Zoicite was something I needed to take care of myself. I don't always need to be babysat," Usagi snapped.

"You were almost killed!"

"Almost!" Usagi said stubbornly, "but I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Rei looked furious. "The end doesn't always justify the means!"

"Guys!" Mina interceded, "There's no point to this. You're both too stubborn to agree on anything. Let's take some time to cool down, maybe figure it out in the morning?"

"Technically, it _is_ morning," Ami said dully.

"I don't know about you," Lita interjected, "but as far as I'm concerned, it's still night and my bed is calling my name."

That said, the senshi agreed (grudgingly on Rei's part) to reconvene in the morning. Casting Usagi significant glances, the senshi filed out of the park, looking exhausted.

Usagi realized there was nothing left to distract her from talking to Mamoru, and, consequently, the nerves kicked in. She looked down determinedly at her feet.

"So I guess we need to talk," he finally said, running a hand through his dark locks.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," was Usagi's unenthusiastic reply.

They stared at one another.

"So..."

"So."

Silence.

Usagi could take it no longer. "I'm sorry okay? I was being stupid, not telling you my identity. I just... I didn't want things to change, you know?"

Mamoru looked as if he were considering this. "I suppose...I can accept that."

"Let's just...start over. No lies." She extended her hand. "Hi, my name's Usagi and I'm a schoolgirl by day and a crime fighting superhero by night."

He grasped her hand and Usagi instantly felt a shock of tingles. "What a coincidence, Usagi, because I too fight crime after dark."

"How strange that we haven't run into each other before," she quipped.

"Hmm, decidedly."

They laughed, but once again dissolved into silence.

"Well, Usagi," Mamoru said, "it was nice meeting you and I'm sure we will be very good friends." He gave her a warm smile. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Usagi smiled back, "I think I'd like that." He gave her one last grin before walking away, but Usagi remained immobile. Everything felt a bit...anti-climactic.

After all, she'd defied Luna, run off into the night by herself, defeated her archrival, and now she was going home to sleep off her exhaustion and perhaps watch some cartoons in the morning? It didn't seem right. Sure, she felt pretty content at the moment, but maybe she was ready to feel something more than contentment. Maybe she owed it to herself to at least take a shot in the dark. That's what this entire night had been about, hadn't it?

"Mamoru!"

His dark head whipped around, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

She began to walk over to him. "I take back what I just said." He looked confused, but she kept walking. "I want to be more than just friends."

The shock in his eyes was apparent, but slowly, it melted into something else entirely. Something that gave her the shivers up and down her body. His lips curved into a gorgeous grin.

That was enough of answer for Usagi. Without preamble, she flung herself into his arms and kissed him for all she was worth. He responded almost immediately, wrapping her up into his arms as if she was his, all his.

The sky was lightening and the sun was threatening to come up, but all was lost on Usagi as they kissed and kissed and kissed.

"I never stopped thinking about you," Mamoru said, when they breathlessly broke apart. "When I was in America, I mean."

Despite their previous intimacy, Usagi blushed. "Same here," she admitted.

They smiled at one another –goofy grins- before Mamoru encased her hand in his. He pecked her cheek once more. "We should probably get going."

Usagi looked up, startled, at the rapidly lightening sky. "I suppose so."

So hand in hand, they walked home, smiling, because _this_ is what being happy felt like.

**The end.**

* * *

Please tell me what you guys thought. And in case you were wondering, I still have a few ideas for some more SM fics that will hopefully be coming your way soon. I'll post updates on my profile so head there if you have any questions or anything. -G


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